Oakwood Names Academic Vice President

Oakwood University Administration is pleased to announce that Tricia Penniecook, M.D., MPH, current dean of the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University, has accepted an invitation to serve at Oakwood University as vice president for Academic Administration.

Dr. Penniecook brings a wealth of national and international leadership experience to the Oakwood University position. She will close out the academic year at Loma Linda University and officially take up her responsibilities at Oakwood on July 1, 2015.

Dr. Penniecook's name comes forward from a University Search Committee consisting of administrators, faculty, staff, and student representatives. Dr. Timothy McDonald, University provost and senior vice president, chaired the interview meetings, where names were considered over a three-month period. Of the five interviewed finalists, Dr. Pennicook's qualifications as a broadly-experienced academic administrator commended her to the position.

"My family and I are very excited to join the Oakwood University family as it prepares leaders to fulfill God's mission for their lives. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to engage with committed faculty, staff, and students who care about their community and are able to make a difference," said Dr. Penniecook.

At the first Faculty Meeting of the Spring semester, on January 20, 2015, Dr. Penniecook is scheduled to share the presentation she made to the Search Committee, titled "Oakwood's Role in Fighting Disparities."

The Administration extends its generous thanks to Dr. George Ashley and Dr. Chandra Mountain, for their contributions to the Division of Academic Administration in the "acting" roles they assumed this year. They will be finishing up projects commenced during this academic year before resuming their previous responsibilities on July 1, 2015. "Both Dr. Ashley and Dr. Mountain have our full support, as the work they continue to do is vital as we prepare for our fifth-year accreditation report," said Dr. Leslie Pollard, Oakwood University president.

Oakwood's Dietetics Program Awarded Grant

The Produce for Better Health (PBH) Foundation recently awarded a grant of $5,000 to Oakwood University's dietetic program. According to a news release, this grant is to fund an enhanced collaboration between supermarkets and university nutrition and dietetics programs.

"The store tour dietetics training grant program has, and continues, to gain momentum and garner interest," said Elizabeth Pivonka, president and CEO of PBH. Notable results will be shared during their 2015 Annual Conference.

Dr. Joycelyn Peterson, director of Oakwood's dietetics internship program, sent in a proposal for dietetics internship enhancement. The $5,000 award will be used during Spring semester 2015 for training 12 dietetics interns. "A major program goal," Peterson said, "will be to prepare competent dietetics practitioners to use their knowledge of nutrition to serve the community."

Oakwood University Dietetics Interns will help meet the objectives of the Produce for a Better Health Foundation (PBH) Grant by improving the knowledge of food preparation through grocery store tours and food demonstrations and increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables by residents in the urban community, who typically do not meet the requirements for consumption.

Oakwood's Radio Station and New Beginnings Program Sponsor "Angels Among Us" Initiative

90.1 WJOU-FM, in conjunction with the New Beginnings program at Oakwood University, is in the middle of its first "Angels Among Us" campaign, December 5-22, 2014. This holiday season, the Huntsville and Oakwood communities will have the opportunity to help the children and single parents of the New Beginnings program at Oakwood University by becoming an angel among us.

"Angel Among Us" angel trees are located at the studios of WJOU-FM and Garden Cove Produce, in Huntsville. Each angel represents items for a deserving child or parent. These items are not just toys, but also include necessities such as diapers, clothes and household goods, as well as educational toys and Bible storybooks - things that will truly make a difference in the lives of each family.

According to Reggie Hicks, WJOU-FM general manager, "Community participation is important to the holiday success of WJOU's Angels Among Us campaign. We are encouraging everyone to drop by one of our tree locations to select an angel or visit our virtual tree online at www.wjou.org."

Spokespersons for this year's campaign are Monica Spencer, Oakwood's Miss UNCF, and Nia Johnson, the reigning Miss Oakwood University.

Special thanks to Garden Cove Produce for its support as one of our Angels Among Us locations. Also, thanks to companies and organizations supporting this effort with special gifts for each family. A complete listing of these companies can be found here.

New Beginnings, a Christ-centered program, is designed to assist single parents with their unique challenges, to connect them with available community resources, to model and teach wholesome Bible-based parenting techniques, and to provide tools to help them to become better parents, friends, students, and children of God. New Beginnings provides life skills workshops, tuition scholarships and textbook grants, support groups, and child care assistance.

Praise 90.1 WJOU-FM is a non-commercial praise and gospel station serving the Huntsville and Tennessee Valley for 35 years. WJOU-FM is a broadcast service of Oakwood University.

Pollard's Places

This past Monday, I had the pleasure of hosting a "Pastoral Partners" luncheon to thank our friends and alumni from Canada, for their commitment to Christian education and to Oakwood University. Approximately 80 people attended, including pastors, their wives, current Canadian students and Oakwood employees whose homeland is in Canada. Dr. George Ashley, Monica Sudeall-Hawkins, Kisha Norris, George Johnson, and Raymond King were all instrumental in planning and execution of this event. Elder Dan Jackson, president of the North American Division and OU board chair, brought special greetings. Each pastor was given a Pastors Tool Kit, which will be used to promote Oakwood University in Canada. In this picture, four of our students from Canada were invited to share their "Oakwood experience" with the guests at the Millet Activity Center. [Photo by Anthony Chornes II]

Picture of the Week

On Saturday night, December 6, Oakwood's Millet Activity Center was transformed into several scenes from Bethlehem, during the "Live Nativity" event. This is the third year the Student Activities Department has presented this holiday event on the Oakwood campus. The public was invited to view scenes with live biblical characters, portrayed by students, faculty, and staff. Live sheep, goats, a donkey, a calf, and camel, provided by a traveling petting zoo, TNT Acres, helped bring the scenes alive. Pictured are Raymond King, director of student activities, with Noah Mackey, son of Kyle Mackey, a faculty member in the Business & Information Systems Department. [Photo by Anthony Chornes II]

About Oakwood

The mission of Oakwood University, a historically black, Seventh-day Adventist institution, is to transform students through biblically-based education for service to God and humanity.